Rural mail carrying and delivering device.



E. uunsom. RURAL MAIL CARRYiNG AND DELIVERING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR- 26. I918.

Patented Nov. 12, 1918.

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APPLICATION FILED MAR- 26. I918.

Patented Nov. 12, 1918.

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EDWARD TFHUDSON, SUPERIOR, NEBRASKA.

RURAL MAIL CARRYING AND DELIVERING DEVICE.

, Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented Nov. 12, 1918.

Application filed March 26, 1918. Serial N 0. 224,797.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDWARD T. HUDSON,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Superior, in the county of Nuckolls and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rural Mail Carrying and Delivering Devices; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,

clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to mail carrying and delivering devices of that type suspended upon cables or tracks and capable of de livering mail boxes, receptacles or the like at each rural station along a rural route.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a rural mail carrying and delivering device of the above stated character especially adapted to deliver a mail box,

"receptacle or the like at each rural station and pick up an empty box, receptacle or the like which has been previously delivered. A further object of this invention is to provide an automatic mailbox or receptaclereleasing device which, when the device reaches each station, will be so actuated as to release one of the mailboxes at the station.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a device of this character, which will be simple, practical and comparatively inexpensive in construction, and one that can be manuufactured and sold at a low cost.

'Wi'th these and other objects in view,'the invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described and set'forth in the "claims hereto appended.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a rural mail carrying and delivering device as made in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan View of the rural mail carrying and delivering device.

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the'device.

Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the line H of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a detail side elevation illustrating the box, receptacle or the like, releasing device.

Fig. 6 is a vertical transverse sectional Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the track supporting post "which is adapted to be located at each and every station along the rural route.

Like numerals of reference designatecorresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral'5 indicates a supporting post which is adapted to be embedded at each station along the rural route. The post?) has secured adjacent its upper end and extending horizon tally therefrom an arm 6, which arm is held against displacement from the post by the diagonal brace 7 which is secured to the post and arm respectively. by its respective ends. An inverted T-shaped supporting member 8 is secured by the terminal of its stem to the adapted to constitute the 'outgoingztrack, while the other track is adapted to constitute the incoming track and on whichmy mail carrying deviceis adapted to be suspended,

whereby 'mail may be delivered along the rural route.

The heretofore described tracks may be constructed from ordinarv rails as lllustrated clearly in the drawings or may be of stout wire or cable secured to the T-shaped members in any well known manner;

The mail carrying and delivering device is indicated as a whole by the numeral 12 and it comprises a frame consisting of a pair of relatively spaced angle bars 13. The rear end of each bar has depending there'- from a vertical bar 14. A shaft 15 is to T-shaped supporting tatably journaled in said vertical bars in the lower terminalthereof.

The shaft 15 has secured centrally thereto a stop lever 16' which is normally held in a vertical tated.

A diagonal brace bar 17 has one'end secured to the lower end of each bar 14 and the free ends of these rods are secured to position until the shaft is rothe lower edge of the vertical flange of the angle bars 13 to reinforce and strengthen the frame at the rear end thereof. The bars 13 are connected at their forward ends by a brace 18 which has its medial portion depressed to form a seat 19 for an operating motor 20. The upper member of the motor frame has formed centrally thereon a shank 21 the terminal of which is bent laterally and extends beyond the outer side of the track 11 and this laterally extending portion is bent upwardly to and beyond the track 11 to provide a wheel supporting bracket 22.

A groove wheel 23 is journaled in the bracket 22 and is adapted to engage the track to support the forward end of the frame thereto. The shaft upon which the groove wheel is journaled extends laterally beyond the exterior of one side of the bracket 22 and has secured thereon a drive wheel 24. The drive wheel 24 is located in direct alinement with the drive wheel 25 located on the motor shaft 26, which motor shaft is rotated by the motor 27 located in the frame 20. A belt'28 is trained over the pulley Wheels 24 and 25 and upon the energization of the motor 27 the wheel 25 will be rotated in turn rotating the wheel 24 to cause the rotation of the groove wheel 23 upon the track 11 to cause the mail deliverying frame to move forwardly thereon, the purpose of which will be hereinafter more fully described.

It will be understood that the motor is adapted to be connected with a suitable electric source designated 29 which is in circuit with the track 11.

To support the rear end of the frame upon the track 11, I provide a plurality of mail receptacles. boxes or the like 30 and as each and every one of the boxes are identical the de cription of one will serve for all. The box 30 has an upper open end and has secured thereacr ss a brace arm 31 which has formed centrallV therefrom an upstanding bracket 32 ide tical in construction with the bracket 22 carried by the motor. A groove wheel 33 is iournaled in the up er portion of the bracket 32 and is adapted to engage the track 11 to retain the rear portion of the frame i hor zontal aline e t and coopert wi h the motor su porting frame to re tain the frame in posit on upon the tracks. Secured to and ex e ding laterally from the bracket 3 at the lower portion thereof are the arms 33 eac avi g iournaled to its o ter end a roll r 3 which is adapted to run u on t e u per side of the spaced angle bars a ly fr m each s de of he box or receptacle 20 at the up er end thereof is a shaft'34 v o' iour aled on its ou er end a wheel 35 or en a e t with e under side of h horivontal la of the spa ed a gle bars 3. t u pr 't n th boxes from be in moved e t a ly in the'frame.

It will be understood that a plurality of Fo med o and extendi g laterthese mail boxes or receptacles or as many boxes or receptacles are supported by the frame as there are stations along the rural route. The rear mail box is adapted to be engaged by the stop 36 to prevent it from being urged from the frame during its travel over the track. It will also be apparent that upon the energization of the motor the frame will start moving on its track to and in the direction of the first station, which is designated by a post 5.

The diagonal brace bars have secured centrally thereto and extending laterally therefrom stub shafts 36' and rotatably mounted on the outer end of each stub shaft 36 is a grooved drum 37. A ratchet wheel 38 of a diameter less than the drum is secured to one of the drums on the inner side thereof for rotation therewith. The

teeth of the ratchet wheel 88 are adapted to be engaged by a pawl 39 which is pivotally secured as at 40 to a drum operating lever 41. which lever is pivotally secured to the shaft 15 at its lower end. The upper end of the lever 41 extends upwardly beyond the frame 12 and is adapted to engage the arm 6 of each po t so as to operate said drum a d to also release the rear mail bag. box or the like. A spring 42 has o e end secured to the operating lever 41 and its opposite e d secured to the pawl 89 to normally retain the pawl in en a ement with the teeth .of the ratchet wheels 38 so that the ratchet wheel will be retur ed u on the'rearward mo ement. f the operating lever 41 to its initial position.

An arm 43 has o e end pivotally secured as at 44 to Hie o ating le er 41 adiacent its upper end. The free terminal of this arm has a co cave bearin member formed t ereon for enoaoement with the roller 34' of ch mail box 30 upon forward mo ement of t e a m so t t as it ngages the arm 6 of the pos 5 it will urge the rear mail bag out of the frame and thus leave it at its destination.

A cable 46 is secured to each grooved drum 37 at one end. and the free ends of these cables are secured. as at 47. to the arms 48 which extend laterally from the opposite s des of the cable supporting member 49. The cable supporting member 49 has iournaled therei a groove wheel 50 for engagement with the track to supportthe same thereto. Th lower end of the member 49 is sub an ially rectangular and is adapted to enga e the for most mail box. bag or the like. and upon t e actuat on of the operati g ember 4] t e bag wil be urged rearwa d a d o h bag will take the place o the bag displayed at its proper destination.

In use. the mail boxes 30 are filled with,

outward travel upon the outgoing track 11. Upon reaching the first station along the rural route, the operating arm ,41 strikes the arm 6 of the post at that station moving the same rearwardly thus urging the arm 43 intoengagement with the roller of the'last mail box urging the same outwardly off of the frame, it being understood that by movement of the arm rearwardly, the stop member 16 is thrown downwardly to permit of this operation. After the mail bag has been delivered and the machine has passed beyond the post. the operating arm 41 returns to its initial position during which movement the ratchet wheel is given one-eighth revolution by the pawl 39 rotating the drum which winds the cable thereon, thus moving the bags orboxes' rearwardly for placing another box in position to be delivered at the next station.

It will be understood that the mail boxes, receptacles or the like left on the first outgoing trip at each rural station. designated by one of the posts 5. will be picked up on the return trip by the frame carrying the motor. The frame carrying the motor will take up the first bag and so on until it has collected all of them and will push the empty receptacles ahead of it until it reaches the starting point again.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

1. A device of the class described including a frame, a motor at the forward end of the frame, drums journaled adjacent the rear end of the frame, a suspended track, means for supporting the frame upon the track. and a plurality of mail receptacles supported by the frame and track. and means carried by the frame for automatically releasing each of the mail receptacles.

2. A device of the class described including a frame. a motor carried at the forward end of the frame, drums journaled adjacent the rear end of the frame on the exterior thereof.'a track, means carried by the motor and adapted to rotatably engage the track for supporting the forward end of the frame. a plurality of mail receptacles. means rotatably supporting the mail receptacles to the track and upon the upper side of the frame. cable supporting means, said cables adapted to be wound upon the drums, and means connected to one of said drums for automatically releasing one of the mail receptacles at different intervals for urging the adjacent receptacle in the direction of the rear end of the frame, as and for the purpose specified.

3. A device of the class described includin a frame. a suspended track. a motor carried by the forward end of the frame, means for rotatably supporting the forward end of the frame upon the track, a plurality of mail receiving receptacles rotatably mounted in the frame, means carried by each receptacle and adapted to be rotatably mounted upon the track for supporting the rear end of the frame, drums journaled to the frame, cable supporting means rotatably mounted upon the track, cables secured to said means, the free end of said cables wound about said drums, and means carried by one of said drums and adapted to be operated by track supporting means to release one of the mail bags or boxes and r0- tate the drums to move the adjacent mail receptacle rearwardly on the frame.

4:. A device of the class described including a frame, a motor supported at the forward end of the frame, drums j ournaled adjacent the-rear end of the frame, a sus pended track, means for supporting the frame upon the track, and including a plurality of mail supporting receptacles and frame for supporting the motor, and means carried by the said first frame for automatically releasing each of the mail receptacles at points along a rural route.

5. A device of the class described including a frame, a motor supported at the forward end of the frame, drums journaled adj acent the rear end of the frame on the exterior thereof, a plurality of mail receptacles, means for supporting the mail receptacles on the frame, said mail receptacles and motor adapted to support the frame upon a track, and means supporting the track whereby the mail receptacles may be released automatically and independently from the frame at points algng a rural route.

6. A device of the class described including a frame, a suspended track, a motor at the forward end of the frame, means carried by the motor for engaging the track to support the forward end of the frame thereto, drums journaled adjacent the rear end of the frame, a plurality of mail receptacles rotatably supported upon the frame and track, drums journaled on the frame, cable supporting means carried by the frame, and track, said cables adapted to be wound upon the drums, means carried by the drums for automatically disengaging each mail receptacle independently from the frame at points along the rural route and to wind the drums to urge the adjacent mail bag or receptacle in position to be released from the frame.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD T. HUDSON.

Witnesses:

GEORGE S. ALDRICH, Roscoe J. NIEHAUS.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each. by addressing the Commissioner 01' Eatents, Washington, D. 0. 

